ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was out for a walk with my dog when out of nowhere, my neighbor's dog came charging toward us. He had slipped out of his collar and was clearly not under control. He lunged at me and my dog, growling and snapping. I had to shield my dog and myself, and for a moment, I genuinely thought we were going to get seriously hurt.

What...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: There is a relatively nice person who works near me in a busy financial office. They are talented and smart, but they have an annoying habit of interjecting a constant stream of unsolicited advice and warnings about health into every single conversation.

They will warn me of the plastic in teabags as they watch me make a cup ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for 13 years and married for 10. We've always had what I believed was a stable, loving relationship. In all that time, we've only had a handful of arguments -- certainly nothing major or frequent.

But recently, during a heated disagreement, he said something that completely shattered me. In the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: The woman I've been married to for the last 10 years is spending her time away from home. She isn't seeing another man or hanging out in bars. She leaves at any time of the day and goes to the casino. She also plays online throughout the day or evening. She stays out all night until sometimes 8 or 9 o'clock the next morning.

I have ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 57-year-old woman, and I've been in an off-and-on relationship for nearly 11 years with a man who is 30. Yes, there's a big age gap, but in the beginning, it felt like we truly connected. We got married, and for a while, I thought we had something special.

But over the years, he's developed a pattern: he leaves -- sometimes ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Ever since I was a child, my mom has regarded me as wise, thoughtful and intelligent. She has confided about family issues, tensions at church and cheating at her workplace. Abby, I don't want to be her confidant. Am I doomed to always hear her never-ending problems? She creates them herself by jumping to conclusions and suspecting ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently got married, and while most of the day went beautifully, there's one thing that's really been bothering me: One of my bridesmaids, whom I considered a close friend, didn't show up to the wedding. She never told me why. We had been in touch leading up to the big day, and as far as I knew, everything was fine. She had ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A friend, who professes to love me, behaved irrationally on a two-day visit to my house. He says he is always in a lot of pain due to fibromyalgia, neuropathy and a tendon missing in his shoulder.

I have two disintegrating discs pressing on nerves in my lower back, which is very painful. During his visit, I waited on him hand...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a retired, divorced man who had a fulfilling career, but I now struggle to find female companionship. I was mostly focused on my career and got married in my mid-40s, partly out of loneliness, and together we have a daughter in her 20s. Looking back, I don't think I was ever truly in love with my ex-wife. Still, I've never ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My stepdaughter, "Allie," (whom I've raised as my own since she was 2), has banned my 39-year-old daughter's 19-year-old girlfriend "Taylor" from coming to her house for the holidays. She dislikes that Taylor is 20 years younger than her sister. Because of this, I decided to celebrate the holidays at my house instead of hers.

My ...Read more

DEAR HARIETTE: I have been arguing with my husband for years. He regularly speaks to me like I am an idiot. He is rude and downright nasty. I have pleaded with him to stop treating me like this. I have asked him to go to therapy with me so we can figure out how to communicate better, but he refuses.

We had a huge blow-up the other day when I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The first time my friend left me waiting for her for an hour when we had plans to meet for lunch, I expressed my displeasure. She defended herself with the same excuses she used in her texts to me: She was running late; she'd run into traffic; she would be there in another 5 minutes (sometimes at 15-minute intervals).

The ...Read more

Dear Annie: The town I live in is trying to cut expenses by having amateurs handle the mowing and weed-whacking at our local cemetery. Last year, the professional landscapers left gouge marks on the lower stone of my son's grave. We were charged for perpetual care when he was buried, so I was upset by this.

Now, I'm even more concerned. The ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've known "Bianca" since high school. She's my neighbor and godmother to my son. I consider her a sister, and we travel and spend holidays together. Our families get along well.

A month ago, my body started aching all over. I have been feeling sick, and my doctor is trying to figure out what's wrong with me. One day, Bianca and I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm feeling frustrated and concerned after a recent experience involving my 8-year-old daughter. She has a severe peanut allergy, and last weekend, I allowed her to spend the night at her friend's house for the first time. I made sure to inform the other child's parents ahead of time about her allergy and even sent her EpiPen ...Read more